2016 - World Yearlist Record Attempt (3 Viewers)

[Richard Klim]

(i) The initial 5 day indulgence in Antarctica - which he did for personal reasons rather than the record;

I think it's great that Noah will be able to reflect on the fact that he birded all continents of the world in his quest. Whatever his final total, it's anyway likely to be bettered sometime by a more finely-tuned itinerary...

 

[Paul Chapman]

I think it's great that Noah will be able to reflect on the fact that he birded all continents of the world in his quest. Whatever his final total, it's anyway likely to be bettered sometime by a more finely-tuned itinerary...

Totally agree. He has made it repeatedly clear that this was not solely a list-maximising effort which is why he is only about 1,000 ahead of the previous record....

All th best

 

[Jim M.]

It is difficult to imagine that someone would post this comment without taking the following two minimal steps first:-
1. Click on the link; and
2. Search for the word 'carbon'.

Nevertheless I quote the result of those steps:-

'Of course I am fully aware that travelling around the world for a whole year will leave a significant carbon footprint. Therefore, I will follow a carbon offset program with my sponsor ATPI.'

Thanks. Glad to see it. Before posting, I did in fact click on the link, reviewed it quickly, and searched for "warming" and "climate" (or something like that). Which yielded nothing. But my main goal was to make sure the issue was raised in this thread, because it had not even been mentioned so far and there is a significant chance of all this discussion generating more such attempts by people who will not take such steps.

If you are going to set these restrictions on someone else's next 365 days of birding, I hope that you are also taking the same approach.

If I did a global big year, I certainly would take such steps. (Though I'm not planning any such attempt). Global big years are surely the most carbon intensive endeavor in all of birding bar none. [EDIT: Frankly, at this point in the history of the planet, they strike me, to borrow a book title, as "a supremely bad idea."]

 

[Andy Adcock]

Andy

I think you're wrong there. I think that his WP strategy was almost spot on. Too many days in Spain when he should have done a big day in say Estonia. He added 314 species in 16 days in Europe (including Turkey) which was as good as South America for additional species per day but it could have been 330 in say 13 days.

It is the prospects of a return that are important rather than how prolific the region - 260 additions in 27 days in Columbia evidences that he overstayed because he had done so well elsewhere in South America. Before the year started, who would have said to him - 'don't stay in Columbia too long!'....

All the best

You enjoy figuring this stuff out Paul, what did he see in Iceland and Norway that wasn't seen anywhere else?

Barrow's Goldeneye, Harlequin Duck, Gyr etc in Iceland, all possible in N America. Likewise Great Grey Owl, Pine Grosbeak etc in Norway.

These species surely could have been picked up in a more profitable way?

There's nothing up there that he couldn't have got in North America except Three-toed Woodpecker (split by most) but he didn't have to be so far North in Europe to get that and Sibe Tit I think.

Andy

 

[Andy Adcock]

Totally agree. He has made it repeatedly clear that this was not solely a list-maximising effort which is why he is only about 1,000 ahead of the previous record....

All th best

So the point was / is, I know he's engaged with the locals in a few places?

Andy

 

[Jos Stratford]

If I did a global big year, I certainly would take such steps. Global big years are surely the most carbon intensive endeavor in all of birding bar none.

Maybe I am wrong, but isn't this only the second ever Global Big Year? It is never going to become a mass event, perhaps at most one or two dedicated 'crazy' dudes every year or two (and full respect to them from me) ...so in the big scale of things, actually nothing at all in terms of overall effect.

Far more significant surely are the tens of thousands of little trips made each day by the likes of 'normal' birders, you and I, as we drive to the coast for that migration day, as we fly on our annual holiday, etc, etc. So rather than demand it mandatory for carbon-offset programs to be part of Global Big Years, wouldn't it be more logical for us to look closer to home first?

 

[Paul Chapman]

You enjoy figuring this stuff out Paul, what did he see in Iceland and Norway that wasn't seen anywhere else?

Barrow's Goldeneye, Harlequin Duck, Gyr etc in Iceland, all possible in N America. Likewise Great Grey Owl, Pine Grosbeak etc in Norway.

These species surely could have been picked up in a more profitable way?

There's nothing up there that he couldn't have got in North America except Three-toed Woodpecker (split by most) but he didn't have to be so far North in Europe to get that and Sibe Tit I think.

Andy

I'll have a look at the spreadsheet later. Out at the moment so this is off the top of my head without checking my facts - which is not an approach I like to take....

He has the highest proportion of the WP list recorded of any of the regions that he has finished birding with close to the least proportion of his time spent there so if you are looking at a gap analysis to work out where he could have spent his time more efficiently, it is not where I would start.

So the point was / is, I know he's engaged with the locals in a few places?

Andy

Birding without borders.... Global birding community. Raising awareness. Engagement of locals and raising awareness of local initiatives etc.

Mind you if we find out say he's diverted via Bali to build his list en route to PNG, it may be his inner competitor coming out. B

All the best

 

[Jim M.]

Maybe I am wrong, but isn't this only the second ever Global Big Year? It is never going to become a mass event, perhaps at most one or two dedicated 'crazy' dudes every year or two (and full respect to them from me) ...so in the big scale of things, actually nothing at all in terms of overall effect.

I don't know how many have been attempted, but certainly they are much more feasible now than they have ever been, so I see a potential for this to become a trend, especially for retired birders and because it is a relatively new phenomenon. The internet has made global birding much more accessible than it used to be. Noah's tried one, and we've already seen another proposed hot on its heels, and the threads on BF seem to have generated a lot of interest. Likely other attempts are already in the works that haven't been publicized.

But more importantly, it strikes me as an example of birders sending the wrong message at the wrong time.

 

[dantheman]

You enjoy figuring this stuff out Paul, what did he see in Iceland and Norway that wasn't seen anywhere else?

Barrow's Goldeneye, Harlequin Duck, Gyr etc in Iceland, all possible in N America. Likewise Great Grey Owl, Pine Grosbeak etc in Norway.

These species surely could have been picked up in a more profitable way?

There's nothing up there that he couldn't have got in North America except Three-toed Woodpecker (split by most) but he didn't have to be so far North in Europe to get that and Sibe Tit I think.

It's also about ease of connecting with species - some of those would have been hard to get in N America ... (and he hadn't got them already). Would have had to stay in N America a lot longer (and becoming more inefficient). Seem to recall Great Grey Owl was particularly difficult for one of the participants in one American big year (ie double figure dips before ultimately connecting?)

Mixing it up, covering as many areas and habitats as poss?

 

[dantheman]

But more importantly, it strikes me as an example of birders sending the wrong message at the wrong time.

A global green big year would be great - but probably impossible!

 

[Andy Adcock]

I'll have a look at the spreadsheet later. Out at the moment so this is off the top of my head without checking my facts - which is not an approach I like to take....

He has the highest proportion of the WP list recorded of any of the regions that he has finished birding with close to the least proportion of his time spent there so if you are looking at a gap analysis to work out where he could have spent his time more efficiently, it is not where I would start.



Birding without borders.... Global birding community. Raising awareness. Engagement of locals and raising awareness of local initiatives etc.

Mind you if we find out say he's diverted via Bali to build his list en route to PNG, it may be his inner competitor coming out. B

All the best

I personally think he'd have been better adding those five days to e.g Indo....

Would be easy to add few in Bali with an simple destination like Bedugal and there are genuine Java Sparrows easily gettable too.

Stumps me why he didn't do Java though it can be time consuming, everything is so far apart.

Andy

 

[Andy Adcock]

A global green big year would be great - but probably impossible!

There was a UK 'birder' who compiled a World list of species he'd seen on television, even in the backround of programmes like 'Dallas' etc, maybe that's the way to go green!!!

He'd be endlessly pausing and rewinding as he tried to identify stuff.

I'll bet Paul knows who that was?

Andy

 

[Morg]

But more importantly, it strikes me as an example of birders sending the wrong message at the wrong time.

I don't think that birders have to send a message.

The only thing that birders have to do is look at birds - otherwise they are not birders.

It is up to individuals whether they do that in an environmentally sensitive way, in a way that gathers data, or in a way that just makes them feel pretty good/bad/indifferent about themselves.

 

[Jon Turner]

There was a UK 'birder' who compiled a World list of species he'd seen on television, even in the backround of programmes like 'Dallas' etc, maybe that's the way to go green!!!

He'd be endlessly pausing and rewinding as he tried to identify stuff.

I'll bet Paul knows who that was?

Andy

Wasn't that a part of the programme 'Bird Nuts'? He was shown looking (over and over again!) at a small South American bird which he simply could not identify! It's intrigued me thinking about it over the years!

 

[Andy Adcock]

Wasn't that a part of the programme 'Bird Nuts'? He was shown looking (over and over again!) at a small South American bird which he simply could not identify! It's intrigued me thinking about it over the years!

May have been Jon, don't remember.

Andy

 

[Mysticete]

It's also about ease of connecting with species - some of those would have been hard to get in N America ... (and he hadn't got them already). Would have had to stay in N America a lot longer (and becoming more inefficient). Seem to recall Great Grey Owl was particularly difficult for one of the participants in one American big year (ie double figure dips before ultimately connecting?)

Mixing it up, covering as many areas and habitats as poss?

Generally speaking, the optimal time and place to see a lot of those birds is in Winter in the Northern States, (or maybe summer in AK), which from a global big year perspective would net you very few new birds for a lot of effort.

 

[Andy Hurley]

The point seems to be that he combined several reasons for doing a world trip, only one of which (albeit the primary one) was to beat the world record. It does leave room for armchair experts to suggest more efficient strategies though

 

[Andy Hurley]

A global green big year would be great - but probably impossible!

Unless less your name is Sylveste

 

[Nohatch]

Is there an updated itinerary out there?

All the best

Expect one soon now that the second and third leg have been finalised.

 

[Jos Stratford]

A global green big year would be great - but probably impossible!

Dorian Anderson did a big year in the USA purely by bike in 2014 - peddled almost 18000 miles, got knocked over by a car once, crossed 28 states and notched up 618 species, the first species of the year being Snowy Owl and the last Smith's Longspur. Wouldn't even go on sailboat pelagics as they have to use their engines to exit port, so it would seem about as green as could be.

Going much beyond that would be pretty impressive.